Hen&#39;s nest



"Jam 2,1923. v

A. w. SILKWORTH.

HENS NESTl ORIGINAL lLED JAN.24, 1922.

mmf-Im INVENTOR ATTO RNEY naar ninos w. srrinwonrn, or roeren-ernment, new Yoan.

nnns tuner.

Application filed January 24, 1922, Serial No. 531,491. Renewed November 211, 1922.

which thel following is a specification.

This invention relates to hens nests.

More particularly the invention relatesto devices for 'registering or recording the visits of hens to a nest.y v Some yof the objects of the present invenf tion are: to simplify the construction and operation of devices of the character mentioned; to employ a novel form of'marking device which is adapted to be attached to the wing of a herrin such a manner as not to interfere with ,the circulation of blood,

and so positioned on the wing to mark cna y y y y y 'doors in parallelism with the'walls 1Q in to produce comparatively inexpensive de' yrecord sheet, upon the hen leavingthe nest;

vices thus giving an economic advantage in the use of device of this character in large numbers. With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the particular provision, construction and operation ofr parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying'drawing;,in`

which 2 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the nest proper.

Figure 2 is a plan view. Figure 3 isa sectional view. Figure l is a perspective view of the markingdevice forming a part of the present invention. y

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the marking device.

Referring now more particularly to the several views of the drawing for all of the details, it will beyapparent that, the nest proper 10 includes a compartment 11 which may be of any desiredsize and proportion. The compartment 11 is .formed of side walls 12, bottom 13, and strips 111 which vlatter serve as a lattice.,y A nestl of any desired construction is arranged in the rear of the compartment 11. The nest 15- is mounted for pivotal movement. y The pivoting of the nest 15, in the present instance, is effected by the employment of screw eyes 17 attached to the walls 12,'screw eyes 16 attached to the nest 15, and a wire, or rod 1S which passes through all of the said screw eyes. The nest 15 is yieldingly supported in a normal elevated position by springs 19. Une

'n ence of the spring hinges end of each spring opening'.` ln other words the opening Q1 serves for the exitas well as lthe entrance Lof a hen from and to the compartment 11.

'Doors 22 are arranged at the opening 21.

The doors are hingedly mounted to strips or jambs 9,3 attached t'o the insides of the walls 12, as at 241. The hinges 242 are spring,r

hinges and hare a normal 'tendency to more the doors Q2 toward each. other. Means to be hereinafter described serre to hold the open positions, and upon the operation of the said means ,the doors are 'allowed to be f moved toward each other under the inlinii. block 25 limits the movements ofthe doors Q9 to- .ward each other and in fact holds the doors relatively yspaced at their free ends, and in which positions of the doors they are relatively angularly disposed. l

liv/leans 26 is provided between the nest 15 and the doors 22 to hold the doors open` against movement and allowing the movec ment of the doors to partly closed positions upon the operation of the said means. The means 26 in the present instance consists of membersy 27 attached `to the nest 1,5 and which entend forwardly in the direction of the doors. The free end ofeach member Q17 has attached thereto a door engaging obstructingnieinber 28. The members 28 eX tend upwardly through openings 29 vin the hottom13. By movingthe doors 9,2 to open positions, the members 2S may be disposed so to prevent the 'doors from moving toward each other until the nest 15 is again lowered by pressure or weight applied thereto. For insta-nce when the weight of a hen is applied' to the nest 15 the doors may spring inwardly toward each other and they may also open outwardly when the hen f action of the spring hinges 24;.

Each of the doors 22 has secured thereto .in any suit-able manner, a multiplicity of m meines sheets ot paper 30. ln the present instance the sheets 30 are held in place on each. door and securing 35; the crayon being designated rlie means is in the nature ot a'tlexible band 3T ivhose ends 3S cari J.' a 'erenv bolt and nuit or the like 39. The mea-ns 3 5 consists of a rubber member et() having a split collar 4l which receives an end oi crayon 3G, and a small screw 42 with the collar il serves to detachably secure the crayon. The means B5 in its entirety carried by the band 3'?. The band 537 is made to pass through an incision in the web oit a hens wing, and then between the first and second flight jfeathers ot the secondary ot the wing. lt is to be understood that two marking devices may be carried by a hen or only one. Each hen can be identili'ed by the color or colors of the crayon or crayons it carries, its visit to a can be ascertained by the mark or marks it leaves on the sheet or sheets so that if the hen entered the compartment 1l and laid an egg, it could afterward be determined,

which hen o'i many hens, laid the particnrr As the hen leaves the compartment .it

registers on the sheets and the doors spring back to their partly closing positions and thus prevent the entrance of another hen upon the nest until the egg, if one has been laid has been removed, and theV doors placed under the control oli' the members 28.

W hat is claimed is:

i. For the purpose of registering the visit of a hen to a nest, the combination of a compartment comprising a nest arranged within `the, compartment for movements, doors,

means tor moving the doors, means between the nest and the doors for holding the doors against movement .and allowing the movement thereof upon the operation of said means by virtue of the weight oi a hen on said nest, record sheets on said doors, and marking` devices adapted to be attached to a hen and positioned thereon to mark on said record sheets upon. the exit ot the hen from the compartment.

For the purpose of registering the visit or" alien to a nest, the combination of a compartment comprising a yieldingly mounted nest arranged within the compartment tor movements, doors at the entrance and eXit` opening of said compartment, means for moving the doors, means between the nest and the doors for holding the doors against allow voper yengaging movement and allowing the movement thereot' upon the operation of said means by virtne ot the weight ot a hen on said nest, record sheets on said doors, and marking devices adapted to be attached to the wings of a hen and positioned thereon to markr on said sheets upon the exit ot the hen from said compartment.

For the purpose of registering the visit ot a hen to a nest, the combinationfof a compartment comprising a nest arranged within the compartment for moveme its, spring actuated liingedly mounted doors at the en trance and exit opening of said compartment, means between the nest and the doors for holding the doors against movement and allowing the movement thereof upon the operation oi said means by virtue of the Weight ot a hen on said nest record sheets on said doors, and marking devices adapted to be attached to the wings of a hen and positioned thereon to mark on said sheets upon the exit or y'he hen "from said compartment.

For the purpose oi registering the visit oi a hen to a nest, the combination of a latticed compartment, al nest arranged within the compartment tor movements, doors arranged at the entrance and exit opening oi the compartment, the said doors being capa ble ot' being moved to partly close the said r.opening means tor moving the doorsto their partly closing positions, means between the nest and the doorstor holding the doors against movement in full open positions `and the movement oi' the doors upon the y ion ot said last mentioned means by virtue or the weight ot a hen on'said nest, recordy sheets on said doors, marking devices adapted to be attached to the wings of a hen and positioned thereon to mark on said slv yets upon the exit ofthe hen from said coimxiartment, the door moving means serving to yieldinglyA maintain the doors contiguous the out-coming hen.

l? or the purpose of registering the visit ot a hen to a nest, the combination of a compartment, a nest arranged within the compartment for movements, doors, means for moving the doors, means for holding the doors against movement and allowing the movement thereof upon the operation of said last means by virtue of the weight of a hen on said nest, said last means including door obstructing members; record sheets on each of said doors,and vmarking devices adapted to be attached toa hen and positioned thereon topmark on said record sheets upon the exit of the hen from said compartment,

6. For the purpose. of registering the visits of a hen to a nest, the combination ot a compartment having an entrance and an crit opening, a nest arranged within the compartment for movements, 'means for maintaining the nest in a normal elevated Marisa position and allowing the nest to move down# wardly under the weight ot' a hen on the nest, doors at the said opening of said compartment, means for holding the doors against movement in open positions and operable upon the downward movement oit said nest to allow the doors to move toward each other, means for effecting the move ment oi'f said doors toward each other, means limiting the movement oii the doors toward each other, record sheets on each o'lf' said doors, and marking devices adapted to be attached to a hen and positioned thereon marit on said record sheets upon the exito'l the hen from said compartment.

For the purpose of registering the visits oit a hen to a nest, the combination of a compartment having an entrance and exit opening, a pivoted yieldingly mounted nest arranged within the compartment, spring actuated hingedly mounted doors at the opening of said compartment, means between the nest and doors for holding the doors open against movement and allowing the movement thereof to partly closedL positions upon the operation of said last means by virtue of the weight of a hen on said. nest, record sheets on each of said doors, and markn ing` devices adapted to be attached to a hen and positioned thereon to mark on said record sheets upon the exit of the hen from the compartment, each of saidmarlring devices including a crayon or chalk, and means for detachably supporting' said crayon or chalk.

8. For the purpose ot registering the visits of a hen to a nest, the combination of a compartment having an entrancey and exit openinv', a pivotally mounted spring actuated nest arranged within the compartment,

spring actuated hingedly mounted doors at the opening of said compartment, means hetween the nest and doors for holding the doors open against movement and allowing the movement thereof to partly closed positions upon the operation of said last means by virtue of the weight of a hen on said nest, record sheets on each of said doors on the inside thereof, and marking devices adapted to be attached to the wings of a hen and positioned thereon to mark on said record sheets upon the exit of the hen from the compartment, each of said marking devices comprising yieldable attaching means, and detachably mounted water-proorD crayon.

9. For the purpose of registering the visits of a hen to a nest, the combination oir". a latticed compartment having an entrance and eXit opening, a yieldingly mounted normallyv elevated nest arranged within the compartment, spring actuated hingedly mounted outwardly opening doors at the opening of said compartment, means betweenthe nest and the doors for holding the doors open against movement and allowing the movement thereot1 to partly closed positions upon the operation of said last means by virtue of the weight of a hen on sa id nest, record sheets on each of said doors, means on each door for holding a multiplicity of the record sheet-s thereon, and a marking device adapted to be attached to the wing of a hen and positioned thereon tomark on a record sheet on one of said doors upon the exit of the hen from said compartment.

In testimony whereof I hereby aiixmy t signature.

AMOS SILKWORTH. 

